Roasted Fish Sauce Brussels Sprouts

A simple side that reinvents a delicious but often maligned vegetable.By Amanda Marsteller

Brussels sprouts are the Cinderella of the cruciferous vegetable family, and as such, they are often unfairly dismissed as an odorous sideline vegetable. For those in the know, brussels sprouts are in truth one of the most delicious and dainty vegetables, if you cook them with respect. This is accomplished by avoiding overcooking, which is the root cause of any sulfurous odors they may emit. This recipe, adapted from Momofuku, ensures that no overcooking takes place as the brussels sprouts are roasted and tossed in a tangy fish sauce vinaigrette. The piquant, salty zip of the fish sauce provides an unexpected savory partner to a vegetable that is too often laden down with heavy flavors that hide the natural sprouty mystique. Gone are the days of mushy brussels sprouts, and enter in the era of crisply browned, texturally satisfying, boldly flavored cultivars.

Amanda is an associate producer in food television and editor of mobile culinary apps. While new recipes and restaurants enrich her everyday eating, she finds a certain thrill in exploring the public library’s historic menu collection and reveling in the dishes of days gone by. With the Brooklyn Bridge in view, she believes that her borough is one of the most exciting locales to experience food, in both the present and the past. She also pens a blog called The Choy Luck Club, in which she shares the bounty of community-supported agriculture.